Refuse truck



REFUSE TRUCK Oct. 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed Feb. 25, 1957 w w H 7 0 N N H, 2 w m m N 0 7 M JV 7 5 gww \KM. h 5 @w v w J. F. ADERHOLD "Oct. 21, 1958 REFUSE TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1957 llullrllll.

v MENTOR. I Joy/v {AME/0w,

United States Patent O REFUSE TRUCK John F. Aderhold, Jacksonville, Fla. Application February 25, 1957, Serial No. 641,978

6 Claims. (Cl. 21482) This invention relates to refuse trucks of the type comprising a refuse container with means for compress- It is a further object of the invention to provide a control and operating system including an engine power take-01f hydraulic pump, the system being adapted to ready installation in a truck and being characterized by simplicity and optimum safety of personnel.

Refuse trucks having containers with doors at the rear, access or entrance doors at the sides near the front, and a refuse compacting blade movable along the container interiorly to push refuse up against the rear door, have been in use for several years. ,Variousmeans for moving the blade have been suggested, including hydraulic cylinders attached through cables to the blade. It is desired that such cylinders be mounted under the container body, to avoid danger to personnel, to lower the center of gravity of the truck, for appearance sake, for ready access, for protection from the elements, to minimize the possibilities of damage from external objects, and for similar reasons. It is also highly desirable that the rear outlet or discharge door be fully 'openable to expose the whole interior of the container with no mechanism projecting into the container adjacent the rear end which would interfere either with full rearward movement of the compacting and discharging blade or with the free ejection of all of the refuse from the container. It is I further important that the blade be so mounted and arranged for operation as to minimize any tendency of the blade to twist out of alignment and to operate smoothly and reliably in a manner toiprovide high compacting force against the refuse. It is additionally advantageous,

that the blade, its mounting and drive arrangements, and the controls and power source, should be str ng, not subject to wear, damage or malfunctioning, be easily repaired, and of simple and inexpensive construction. The previously suggested hydraulically operated blade type refuse bodies have not met theseimportant desiderata, and have, in general, comprised complicated and expensive mechanisms embodied in the construction in such a way as to be adapted for installation only on a specially designed or modified truck chassis.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a simple blade operating mechanism fixed to the underside of the refuse container, the mechanism being sufliciently compact to permit the installation'of the complete assem- "ice bly on any of a wide selection of truck chassis. The invention further contemplates an arrangement meetlng the above outlined requirements and with improved operating ease and reliability.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompany drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a complete truck and at tached refuse body, in accordlwith the invention, small Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 55 of Fig. l, specifically illustrating details of the blade, the blade support, the connection of cables to the blade, and the positions of portions of the refuse body with respect to each other and with respect to the truck chassis.

Referring to Fig. 1, the truck 1 comprising main chas-.

sis side beam 2 has mounted thereon an elongated refuse container 3 with a side wall 5 and assembled with'a body frame including a sideframe member generally designated at 4 and a guide rail or track member 6. U-bolt 7 and a leg or strap 8, which is fixed to the container body by direct attachment and indirectly by attachment to guide rail 6, together with respective nut 9 and nuts andbolts 10, serve to mount the container and its frame securely to truck chassis beam 2.

Frame member 4 and guide rail 6, duplicated by corresponding identical members at the opposite side of the truck, constitute with container 3 and with other elements as later described an integral body assembly readily attachable as above described to the truck chassis as a unit. The body assembly may be further seen in Fig. 1 to comprise a rear stationary pulley block 11 and a forward stationary pulley block 12, each fixed with re spect to the container, and a movable pulley block 13 attached to a crosshead as later described.

The frame member 4 comprises an unslotted beam portion 14 toward its rearward end but it dividesintq a guide rail or track 6 and an upper rail 15 at rear stationary block 11. The rails 6 and 15 are again joined at strap 8. The frame member 4 thus has a slot 16 defined between rails 6 and 15 extending between block 11 and strap 8. The length of slot 16 is slightly greater than one-f third of the distance between rearward end 17 and forward end 18 of the container 3, whereby forward and extends from the dashboard 24 within the cab 25 of the.

truck.

Patented Oct. 21, 1958 Cable rigging is associated with crosshead block 13 and with thefixed blocks 11 and 12, including cables such as cables 26 and 27 anchored to block 13 and extending, respectively, forwardly and rearwardly of fixed rearward and forward idler sheaves suchas sheaves 28 and 29, respectively, and thence around respective sheaves of block 13, such as sheave 30 thereof and thence, in a pattern or schedule more particularly shown and described in connection with Fig. 3, around selected ones of forward guide pulleys 31, 32 and 33 and around a lower rear idler pulley 34 and an upper rear idler pulley 35. It will be understood that the blocks, pulleys and sheaves shown on the one side of the structure in Fig. 1 are duplicated by corresponding blocks, pulleys and sheaves on the opposite side.

The cables terminate adjacent the several corners of a refuse-compressing blade or plate 36 which is movable from a position at the front end 18 of the container 3 to a position shown in broken lines at 37 at the full rearward end 17 of the container. The plate is preferably slightly inclined such as at an angle of substantially 15 degrees to the vertical and, at its rearward limit of travel, has its lower edge or lip, indicated at 38 in broken lines, disposed slightly outwardly of the container. The position of rear idler pulleys 34 and 35 is such that the blade will clear the outer periphery of the pulley, but they are so arranged as to permit the cable to be introduced into the body immediately over the roof 39' and above the floor 40 thereof to extend to the blade 36. Thus pulley 35 is mounted generally above the roof but with its periphery in substantial alignment with the inner surface of the roof, while pulley 34 is arranged generally below the floor but with its periphery aligned with the upper surface of the floor.

, The rear end of the container is closed by a door, which may be a double door or a pair of doors, including a door member 41 which is shown swung into open position. A suitable lever 42 is arranged to operate locking rods 43 and 44 into and out of engagement with socket numbers 45 and 46 respectively to hold the door firmly closed until it is desired to push the refuse from the container out onto the dump. Emptying of the container is accomplished by opening the doors and by operating blade 36 into its broken line position 37.

Loading or access doors 4! and 48, on opposite sides of the container, are arranged to swing outwardly on hinges, such as hinge 49, and a locking lever, such as lever 50, is pivoted to each access door for engagement with a container frame member 51. The forward end 18 of the container may be left open, being closed by the blade 36 in its extreme forward position. Refuse or garbage loaded through doors 47 and 48 is compacted toward and against the rear door by operating blade 36 from the front end 18 toward the rear of the container.

Details of the hydraulic operating means for the crosshead and movable pulley block 13, and its corresponding block 13' of the other side of the assembly, are shown best in Fig. 2. The lower body frame includes rearward portions 14 and 14' of side members 4 and 4' which extend between the truck chassis beam 2 and the cont'ainer 3 and further includes, forwardly of fixed pulley blocks 11 and 11', guide rail portions 6 and 6 and upper rail portions 15 and 15' of members 4 and 4. Suitable transverse beams, such as beam 122, are provided to span between side frame members 4 and 4' to impart rigidity and to provide support for the container floor. Rails 6 and 15 are separated by a slot 16, and rails 6 and 15' are separated by a corresponding slot 16' in which the respective end portions 52 and 52' of crosshead 53 are disposed and along which the crosshead may travel. The crosshead carries at one side two centering rollers 54 and 55 which are arranged to roll against the inwardly facing vertical surface 56 of guide rail 6, and it carries at the opposite side similar vertical guide rollers including roller 54 for rolling against surface 56' of guide rail 6'. Each side of the crosshead frame 57 also carries two horizontally arranged rollers 58 and 59 which support the crosshead on the lower horizontal surface 60 of rail 6 and the corresponding surface 60' of rail 6'. Twisting or canting of the crosshead is thus prevented.

Hydraulic cylinder 19 and its counterpart 19' have piston rods 20 and 20 connected to or carrying crosshead 53, and the cylinders are rigidly secured, such as by U- bolts 61 to cross frame members 62 joined to frame member portions 14 and 14', and, thus, the cylinders are fixed to the body assembly. Fixed pulley blocks 11 and 11' are securely welded as at 63 to the frame members with which they are in contact, block 11 being secuerd to rails 6 and 15 and also to the rear portion 14 of the frame member 4.

Parallel cylinders 19 and 19 are slightly more than one-third as long as the container body and are operative to extend the piston rods 20 and 20' from a retracted position in which the portions 52 and 52 of the crosshead are adjacent or in contact with the fixed rear blocks 11 and 11' through a forward travel distance equal to at least substantially one-third of the full container length, into a forward limit position in which the respective portions 52 and 52 are immediately adjacent or in contact with the strap 8 and with the corresponding strap on the other side of the truck, the extreme forward position of the block 13 being, for example, the position indicated in broken lines at 64 in Fig. 1. As will be later more apparent, the position 64 of block 13 corresponds to the 'blade position 37 shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. From this forward limit position, the crosshead is movable by retraction of the piston rods through a travel path equal in length to one-third of the container length to the above mentioned retracted position.

Fig. 3 shows schematically the rigging associated with the crosshead, fixed pulleys, guide pulleys and blade. The crosshead block 13 is represented in Fig. 3 by a series of idler sheaves 30, 65, 66 and 67 and a plurality of cable end anchors 68, 69, 70 and 71. Similarly, fixed block 11 comprises idler pulleys 29, 72 and 73, while forward block 12 includes idler pulleys 28 and 74. Idler pulleys 31, 75 and 76 are also arranged adjacent the lower forward end of the body and may be considered a part of block 12.

The specific rigging includes a cable anchored to the crosshead at 68 and extending forwardly therefrom about a forward idler sheave 28 and thence rearwardly around crosshead sheave 30 and thence forwardly again around guide pulley 31. Pulley 31 is, as shown in Fig. 1, located adjacent floor 40 of the container and the end length 77 of cable 26 extends rearwardly within the container just above floor level to a termination at 78 at which it is connected to the blade adjacent its lower edge 38 and adjacent its near side,-as viewed in Fig. 3. If crosshead pulley block 13 is moved rearwardly, the end of cable 26 at connection 68 moves rearwardly therewith, pulling cable around sheave 28 and also around the moving crosshead sheave 30 in a manner to shorten leg 77 by three times thedistance of rearward motion of the crosshead, thus pulling blade 36 forwardly in the container. The blade is also simultaneously pulled by a cable 79 which terminates in a leg 80 joined to the upper near corner of the blade at 81. It will be seen that the rearward motion of anchor 69 of cable 79 moving rearwardly pulls cable 79 over forward fixed idler pulley 74 and around crosshead pulley 65 to pull cable over guide pulley 75 at the lower front end and over guide pulley 32 near.the upper forward end of the container. The cable leg 80 is arranged to extend adjacent the roof of the container, but it may be conveniently spaced several inches below the roof, and upper idler pulley 32, accordingly, will be disposed completcly below the roof level, and this pulley is herein identified as being disposed at intermediate height between the floor and roof of the container, though nearer rigging ofFig. 3 is duplicated for the other side of the truck body and, accordingly, rearward motion of the crosshead pulls forwardly on the blade equally at each of the four corners of the blade, and specifically at connections 78 and 81 on the near corners of the blade as viewed in Fig. 3.

Rearward motion of the blade is similarly caused but by a forward movement of the crosshead, cable 27 being anchored at 70 to the crosshead and being pulled by the forward motion thereof around rear fixed idler pulley 29 and around crosshead pulley 66, the cable passing over a fixed rearward guide or direction reversing pulley 72, conveniently formed as a part of the rear pulley block 11. The length of cable pulled over pulley 72 will equal three times the distance of forward motion of the crosshead. Cable 27 terminates in a leg 82 joined at 83 to blade 36 adjacent the upper near corner thereof. It is necessary that leg 82 be dispersed immediately under and adjacent the roof of the container and it is, at the same time, impractical to lead the cable 7 across the rear end of the container. Accordingly, from guide pulley 72 the cable extends to the front of the container, over a lower front guide pulley 76 and thence over an upper front guide pulley 33 and finally, above the container roof level, rearwardly to upper rear guide pulley 35 and thence to the blade internally of the container. An additional cable 84 is anchored at 71 to the crosshead and extends rearwardly across fixed idler pulley 73 and thence around crosshead pulley 67 and back to lower fixed guide pulley 34. The cable extends forwardly from pulley 34 along a final leg 85 immediately above the floor and within container 3 to a connection at 86 adjacent the lower near corner of blade 36. As the crosshead block 13 is moved forwardly through a unit distance, cable legs 82 and 84 are shortened a length equal to three times such unit distance, while legs 77 and 80 are lengthened by three times such unit distance. Accordingly, each of the cables will remain tight and will move equally in the required directions around guide pulleys 31 and 32, on the one hand, and around guide pulleys 34 and 35 on the other hand, as the crosshead is moved either forwardly to pull the plate rearwardly in the container or rearwardly to pull the plate forwardly therein. Since the distance through which the plate will move is three times the distance of motion of the crosshead, full travel of the plate from one to the other end of the container is accomplished by moving the crosshead through a distance equal to one-third of the length of the container.

Fig. 4 shows the crosshead and crosshead guides, and the crosshead actuating cylinders generally in plan view and further shows schematically certain portions of the control system. The sump or hydraulic fluid atmospheric pressure tank 21 is seen to be connected by tube 22 to a pressure pump 87, the pump being driven by a suitable power takeoff 88 connected to the engine 89 of the truck. A flexible cable 90 controls the power takeofli to engage the pump drive when control button 91, located in the cab of the truck, is raised manually into the broken line position 92. Such movement of button 91 is opposed by a tension spring 93 which normally retains the power takeoff mechanism in unconnected or non-driving condition.

When operating, in response to raising or pulling of button 91 to engage the power takeoff, pump 87 delivers hydraulic fluid under pressure to line 94, the pressure in this line being limited by a relief valve 95, which may include a pressure adjusting control 96 if desired. The relief valve may be set to limit pressure to about 1200 lbs. per square inch giving a maximum blade force of about 10,000 lbs., or 350 lbs. per square foot of blade in an exemplary construction. Fluid under pressure supplied to valve 97 is selectively directed into one or the other of lines 98 and 99 which connect respectively with the rearward ends 100 and the forward ends 101 of the cylinders 19 and 19. Valve 97 is preferably located, as shown in Fig. l, in the cab and under the dash of the truck with handle 23 extending from the dash in :1 Gott veniently accessible position. Valve 97 is a three-way line 94 to line 99, while permitting return from line 98' into line 102. Accordingly, in order to move the crosshead, it is necessary to raise cable button 91 and at the same time to displace handle 23 into one or the other of its selected displaced positions, whereupon the power takeoff will operate pump 87 to supply pressure fluid to the desired end of the hydraulic cylinders. Pressure fluid supplied through line 98 will, of course, extend piston rods 20 and 20' to drive crosshead 53 forwardly, thereby to move the blade rearwardly in the container, while the supply of pressure fluid through line 99 to the forward ends of the cylinders will retract crosshead 53 in the direction of arrows 105 to return the blade toward the front end of the container, the crosshead assuming, when the blade reaches the front end, the position shown by broken lines 106.

With the crosshead in its full forward position, the distance from the rear ends 100 of the cylinders to the point of connection of the piston rods, at 107, with the crosshead, may be equal to a few inches more than twothirds of the overall container length. The distance from 107 to the forwardmost roller mount 108 of the crosshead frame 57 being substantially less than one-third of the container length, it will be apparent that the crosshead may be moved through one-third of the container length, While the maximum extended overall length of the cylinder-crosshead means as measured from the rearward ends 100 of the cylinders to the forward roller mounts 108, at maximum forward position of the crosshead, is less than the overall container length. In the specific con struction shown, this overall cylinder-crosshead length with the piston rods fully extended amounts to approximately three-fourths to four-fifths of the overall container length. The container body, accordingly, including all of the pulleys and blocks, and including the frame member 4, cross members 62 and the hydraulic cylinders, and all other portions of the system, with the exception of valve 97, tank 21, power takeoff 88 and pump 87 and the associated'piping, are constructed as a complete body assembly which may be readily positioned on a truck chassis 2 and held in place thereon by means of U-bolts and straps such as are shown at 7 and 8, respectively, and in which body assembly the cylinders and crosshead are at all times under the container and at no time protrude beyond the container ends. The power takeoff, hydraulic pump, hydraulic fluid tank or sump and the associated con trol cable 90 and control valve 97 are conveniently and quickly installed in the truck, details of their installation being in part governed by the specific arrangements of the truck cab, motor, transmission, and the like.

Fig. 5, taken along line 55 of Fig. 1, shows the back face 109 of blade 36 with its associated elements, and further shows details of underlying frame portions of the body assembly.

The blade is reinforced by ribs 110 formed on its back face, and these ribs serve additionally as anchors for the cable ends. Cable leg 82, for example, passes through a small opening 111 adjacent the upper corner 112 of the blade and is attached by means of a turnbuckle or threaded adjustable eye-bolt 113 to a selected one of ribs 110. Pull on cable leg 82 is effective on the blade at the edge 83 of opening 111. Similarly, cable legs 80, 85 and 77 are in effect connectedto the blade atpointsSl,

If valve handle 23 is swung- 86 and 78, respectively, passing, respectively, through openings 111, 114, and 115.. The'cable legs 77 and 80 which approach the back 109 of the'blade from the forward'end of the container. pass through small openings to the operative refuse-engaging face of the blade and thence back through small openings to attachment eyebolts on the back face. Specifically-cable leg 77 extends along the operative face of the blade between openings 115 and 116 and returns through the latter opening for anchoring by eyebolt 117 to the selected rib 119. The described cable anchoring arrangement permits ready adjustment of cable tension, by operation of the respective eyebolts or turnbuc'kles, such as members 113 and 117, and further avoids the collection of refuse in and around the cable end anchor means.

' The blade is :maintainedin its desired upright and slighly forwardly inclined position by its attachment to the several cables, and it extends to within a small free cleararice distance of the side 'wall 5, the floor 4t) and the roof .39 of the container. The blade is supported and guided in its travel by pairs of upper and lower wheels or rollers, such as rollers 118 and 119 shown in Fig. 5, mounted for free rotation between appropriate rib sections, such as sections 120. Each roller is divided or grooved to engage'o'n and to be guided by a respective track which extends longitudinally of the container, such as track .lllreg'istering withthe upper roller 118.

The container is rigidly fixed to the underlying frame members, including the rails 6 and 15 and the other body frame members which are better shown .in Fig. 2. The frame further comprises cross members such as members 122'joining rail 15 to its counterpart 15' as previously described, and longitudinal floor stiffening beams or strips 123 and .9 may be fixed to the cross members 122 or otherwise secured to the underlying frame, such as by the weld 3 joining'floor strip 9' to rail 15. Such other beams and connections as are found necessary, and such as are ordinarily employed to fix containers to their underlying frames, are provided as may be found necessary for strength and weight supporting purposes, such conventional means being simplified for clarity in the drawings. Fig. further shows the manner in which portion 52 of crosshead 53 is positioned between rails 6 and 15, and inwhich guideroller 54 on mounting bracket 108 is engaged against guide rail 6 to guide the crosshead frame 57 and to insure its proper alignment.

The body frame is connected, such as by strap 8 and bolts 10, to truck chassis main side beam 2, and tank 21 is shown as also supported on the chassis beam.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it .is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of .this invention.

What is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refuse body assembly comprising a body frame including a pair of spaced longitudinal side frame members, an overlying elongated rectangular container mounted on said frame and a rectangular refuse-compressing blade disposed within and transversely of and roller mounted for free movement along said container, the combination of a pressure-fluid-actuated cylinder with an extensible and retractible piston rod therefor, said cylinder being disposed between and fixed to said side frame members, a'transverse, horizontally extending crosshead carried by said rod, said cylinder and rod being oriented longitudinally of said container, at least three pulleys attached to each respective end ofsaid crosshead and underlying respective opposite sides of the container, means selectively to supply pressure fluid to saidcylinder forcibly to move said crosshead selectively forwardly and rearwardly in a predetermined travel path, at least four stationary rotatable rear pulleys fixed to said body rear wardly of said path andraligned with the pulleys of each saidrespective end of said crosshead, at least two stationary rotatable forward pulleysfixed to said body forwardly of said path and aligned with the pulleys of each said respective end of said crosshead, two cablesfixedto each said end of said crosshead each extending around respective ones of said four rear pulleysand thence around around the remaining forward pulley and finally extending.

rearwardly in said container and terminating in a respective attachment adjacent a respective side edge to said blade, the legs of said cables extending between said crosshead and said fixed pulleys and the legs connecting to said blade being all substantially parallel to each other thereby to equalize movements of all of said blade attachments'thereof resulting from movement of said crosshead, the overall fully extended length of said cylinder, rod and crosshead measured longitudinally of said container being less than, but greater than two-thirds of, the container length, and said cylinder, crosshead and crosshead pulleys being at all times under and not protruding longitudinally or laterally from said container.

2. A refuse body assembly comprising a container and an underlying frame, said frame comprising spaced longitudinal side beam members extending substantially the full length of said body and supporting said body thereon, each said beam member comprising a crosshead-accommodating section formed by a respective upper rail portion and a respective lower rail portion, said rail portions of each said section being separated by a longitudinal slot extending through a distance equal to more than onethird of :the length of said container, a crosshead movably supported by respective ones of said rail portions at each side, said crosshead having respective end portions projecting through said slots, a respective multiple-pulley block on each said end portion, an expansible chamber device having a stationary portion fixed to and underlying said container and having a relatively movable portion attached to said crosshead, said device having an overall extended length less than the length of said container and said movable portion being contractable by at least one-third of the length of said container, power means selectively to extend and retract said movable portion, said device being oriented and operable by said power means to move said crosshead along said ones of said rails, rearward pulleys fixed to said body assembly rearwardly of the rearmost travel position of said crosshead blocks and forward pulleys fixed to said body assembly forwardly of the most forward travel position of said crosshead blocks, at least two cables at each side of said body assembly having one end fixed to said cross head and extending rearwardly and about respective fixed rearward pulleys and thence forwardly about respective pulleys of the crosshead block at the respective side andthencerearwardly and finally about other respective rearward pulleys and forwardly therefrom torespective upper and lower corners of said blade, at least one third cable at each side having one end fixed to said crosshead and extending forwardly and about a respective fixed forward pulley and thence rearwardly about a respective pulley of the crosshead block at the respective side and finally about another respective forward pulley and rearwardly therefrom to said blade, whereby respective forward and rearward movements of said crosshead move said blade rearwardly and forwardly, respectively, three times the distance of such crosshead movement.

3.- Iri a refuse truck, an elongated hollow body having a' forward end, a rear end closed by a substantially full opening door, and a floor, a compacting plate in said body mounted on rollers on said floor and movable on said rollers from said forward end to said rear end, a cylinder longitudinally underlying and attached to said body having a length less than one-half of the length of said body between said ends thereof and at least substantially one-third of said body length, a piston rod extensible from one end of said cylinder a distance of at least substantially one-third of said body length from a retracted position, the other end of said cylinder being disposed adjacent one end of said body and said rod being extensible toward the other end of the body, hydraulic means connected to said cylinder operative to move said rod from said retracted position outwardly through said extension distance and alternately to return said rod to retracted position, a crosshead on the outer end of said rod and movable therewith between forward and rearward limit positions inwardly of the ends of said container, a respective rail disposed under and extending longitudinally of said container on each side of the centerline thereof, a bottom mounting frame underlying said container and fixed thereto, said frame including said rails and said crosshead having guide rollers rolling on said rails, said cylinder lying between said rails and rigidly supported by said frame, a respective multiple sheave pulley block fixed to said crosshead under said container and adjacent each said side thereof, respective pluralities of idler sheaves attached to said frame on each side, respectively, and forwardly of the forward limit of travel and rearwardly of the rearward limit of travel, respectively, of the respective pulley block at each respective side, eight cables each having one end anchored to said crosshead, a respective pair of said cables at each side extending forwardly and the second respective pair extending rearwardly and over respective ones of said forward and rearward fixed sheaves respectively atthe respective sides and back over respective sheaves of the block at the respective sides and reversed in direction by said block sheaves, and thence over selected ones of said guide rollers, those of said cables which extend rearwardly from their said crosshead-anchored ends engaging over rearward guide rollers and extending forwardly therefrom within,

said container, and those of said cables which extend forwardly from their said crosshead-anchored ends engaging over forward guide rollers and extending rearwardly therefrom within said container, one of each said pair at each respective side being anchored at its other end to the respective upper corner of said plate and the other to the respective lower corner of said plate at the respective corresponding side thereof.

4. A refuse body comprising an elongated hollow container of rectangular cross-section having a flat horizontal floor, a full opening rear door, vertical side walls, and a flat horizontal roof, at least one said side wall having a loading opening adjacent the forward end of said container, a rectangular blade disposed within and transversely of said container having edges disposed within small clearance distances of said floor, roof and side walls, said blade being inclined at an angle of about 15 degrees to the vertical to extend upwardly toward the forward end of said body, respective pairs of parallel spaced rails on said floor and on said roof extending longitudinally within said container, respective pairs of wheels rotatably attached to said blade at its upper and lower edges guidingly engaging said respective pairs of rails, the pair of wheels at said lower edge supporting said blade on said floor rails, four cables extending rearwardly in said container from respective attachments at each corner of said blade, four idler pulleys mounted to said body and disposed adjacent the four respective rear corners of said container, the peripheries of the upper and lower pairs of said idler pulleys being substantially aligned with the interior surfaces of said roof and fioor respectively, a hy- '10 draulic cylinder underlying said container and fixed to said body, a piston rod extensible from said cylinder in a direction longitudinally of said container, a plurality of pulleys carried by said rod and movable therewith in a predetermined travel path under said container, fixed freely rotatable pulleys carried by said body under said container beyond one end of said travel path of said rodcarried pulleys and in substantial alignment therewith, respective pluralities of guide pulleys on said container adjacent the front ends of the roof and floor respectively, said upper-blade-corner-attached cables extending from said upper gear guide pulleys over respective ones of said respective roofand floor adjacent guide pulleys and said loWer-blade-corner-attached cables extending from said lower rear guide pulleys under said container and about selected respective sequences of said fixed freely rotatable pulleys and said rod-mounted pulleys, each said sequence providing a tackle rigging of equal cable movement multiplication whereby movement of said rod-mounted pulleys in the direction away from said fixed freely-rotatable pulleys causes said blade to be pulled rearwardly insaid container by said cables moving equally at the four corners thereof, pulley and cable means comprising at least one cable attached to said blade and extending forwardly therefrom and guide pulleys fixed to said body and at least one pulley fixed to said body beyond the other end of said travel path and at least one rod-attached pulley all engaged by said one cable in a sequence corresponding in cable movement multiplication to said first sequences, whereby said blade is returned forwardly in said container in response to movement of said rodattached pulleys in the opposite direction, and manually operable selective control means for supplying pressure fluid to said cylinder to move said rods and rod-mounted pulleys selectively in said directions.

5. In a refuse truck body assembly comprising an elongated, horizontally disposed, hollow rectangular refuse-receiving container including two side walls with access doors therein adjacent the forward end of the container and a floor, a roof, and a full opening rear said crosshead in its said travel path between said limit' positions, said means comprising a hydraulic cylinder fixed to said body and underlying said container having a length slightly greater than one-third of the length of said container and disposed in longitudinal alignment between said crosshead and an end of said container, a respective pulley block mounted on said crosshead outwardly of said guides and underlying each of the respectively opposite outer side edge portions of said floor, each said block comprising four sheaves, four sheaves fixed to said frame rearwardly of the rearrnost position of said crosshead at each respective side of and underlying said floor, at least one of said four fixed rearwardly disposed sheaves being located at the rearward end of said container, five forward sheaves fixed to said frame forwardly of the maximum forward position of said crosshead at each respective side of said floor of which at least two underlie said floor and of which the other three are disposed adjacent floor level and at the forward end of said container, a forward end and a rearward end guide sheave fixed to said container at each respective side thereof at said roof level and each extending in part above said roof level, an intermediate forward end guide sheave fixed to said container for each respective side thereof disposed adjacent and below said root level, a

packing blade in said container, roller support means supporting said blade on said floor for moving in said container between the ends thereof, two load compressing cables fixed toeach respective end of said crosshead extending therefrom around respective ones of said rearward fixed sheaves and thence forwardly around respective sheaves of said crosshead block and thence rearwardly and thence, respectively, one around said one lower rearward end fixed sheave and forwardly above said floor and through said blade to the forward face of said blade and the other around the remaining rearwardly disposed fixed sheave and thence forwardly under said floor and around one of said other three floor level fixed sheaves at said forward end and upwardly and around said forward end roof level fixed guide sheave and rearwardly above said roof and around said rearward end roof level guide sheave and forwardly in said container under said roof and through said blade to said forward face thereof, two blade return cables for each end of said crosshead and each having an end anchored to said crosshead at the respective end thereof and said two cables extending forwardly from their said crosshead end and around respective ones of said two forward fixed floor-underlying sheaves and thence rearwardly and respectively around the two remaining sheaves of said crosshead block and thence forwardly and respectively around the remaining two forward end fixed floor-level sheaves and thence respectively one rearwardly in said container above and adjacent said floor through said blade to the rearward face thereof and back through said blade to the forward face thereof and the other upwardly and over said intermediate guide sheave and rearwardly in said container under and adjacent the roof and through said blade to said rearward face thereof and back through said blade to said forward face thereof,

and cable-slack-adjusting means connecting each said cable to said blade at said forward face thereof, whereby movement of said crosshead to its forward limit of travel moves said blade to the rear of said container and subsequent rearward movement of said crosshead through a distance equal to one-third of the length of said container to its rearward limit of travel returns said blade to the forward end of said container.

6. In a refuse truck body assembly comprising an elongated, horizontally disposed, hollow rectangular refusereceiving container including two side walls with access doors therein adjacent the forward end of the container and a floor, a roof, and a full opening rear outlet door against which refuse is compacted, and a frame underlying said floor attached to: said container, the combination of said frame including parallel, spaced guides disposed under said floor and longitudinally of said container, a crosshead carried by and movable along said guides along a travel path of a length between respective forward and rearward limit positions substantially equal to one-third of the length of said container, means for moving said crosshead in its said travel path 12 between said limit positions, said means comprising a hydraulic cylinder fixed to said body and underlying said container having a length slightly greater than one-third of the length of said container and disposed in longitudinal alignment between said crosshead and an end of said container, a refuse compacting blade in said container, floor-engaging rollers mounting said blade for rolling from one end to the other within said container, each side of said container being similarly rigged and each said side rigging comprising a pulley block having a plural number of idler sheaves mounted on said crosshead outwardly of said guides and underlying a respectively opposite side edge portion of said floor, a like number of lower rear idler sheaves mounted on said container underlying said floor and disposed rearwardly of the rearward limit position of said block and in general alignment with the sheaves thereof, a plurality greater by one than said plural number of lower forward idler sheaves mounted on said container underlying said floor and disposed forwardly of the forward limit position of said block and in general alignment with said sheaves thereof, two upper forward guide sheaves mounted on said container at the forward end and near the roof thereof and one upper rear guide sheave mounted on said container at the rearward end and near the roof thereof, two refuse compression cables and two blade returning cables, each said cable having an end anchored to said crosshead, said two refuse compression cables passing in order from said crosshead over respective ones of said lower rear idler sheaves and thence over respective ones of said block sheaves and thence over respective remaining ones of said lower rear sheaves and thence one forwardly within said container to a lower portion of said blade and anchored at its other end thereto and the other over a respective one of said lower forward sheaves and over a respective one of said upper forward guide sheaves and over said upper rear guide sheave and thence forwardly within said container to an upper portion of said blade and anchored at its other end thereto, said two blade returning cables passing in order from said crosshead over respective remaining ones of said lower forward sheaves and thence over respective remaining sheaves of said block and thence over respective remaining ones of said lower forward sheaves and thence one rearwardly within said container to said lower portion of said blade and anchored at its other end thereto and the other over the remaining upper forward guide sheave and rearwardly within said container to said upper portion of said blade and anchored thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,726,776 Myers Dec. 13, 1955 2,753,057 Miller July 3, 1956 2,777,588 Williams Jan. 15, 1957 2,781,925 Baldridge et a1. Feb. '19, 1957 

